Nearly half a year after classes have started and mid-term exams are scheduled to be held shortly, students studying in the city’s civic body run schools are yet to get shoes and socks. Parents of the students studying in these schools allege that negligence of civic officials and the delay in the tender process have led to this delay.
BBMP runs a total of 15 primary schools and 32 high schools, where 7476 students are studying this academic year. While the State government has distributed school uniforms, shoes, and textbooks to all students across the State, BBMP has yet to distribute shoes and socks.
Officials blamed the delay in the tender process for not distributing shoes and socks to students yet. B.S. Satyanarayana, former Mayor of BBMP alleged that the delay was due to negligence of officials. “The main reason for this is the absence of elected representatives in the civic body. As there are no elected representatives, there seems to be no accountability of officials. Generally, all the tender processes for supply of uniforms, shoes, socks are finalised by the month of March and distributed to children as soon as the schools start. However, due to the negligence of the authorities, the children of our schools are going barefoot this year,” he said.
“Tenders were called in the month of March itself, but we couldn’t finalise in three calls due to inappropriate bids. Now the tendering process has been completed and work order is issued to the concerned supplying agency,” Preeti Gehlot, Special Commissioner (Education, Estate and others) BBMP, told The Hindu.
Shoes and socks to be available in November
BBMP has recently finalised the tender for the supply of shoes and socks and has given the contract to Lidkar. They have been given 45 days time to supply them. The organisation has to now visit each school, take measurements of each student’s feet, and supply shoes and socks. So new shoes will be available only in November.
A student of BBMP High School of Chamarajpete said as the Dasara vacation will start in a few days, they were not given shoes and socks still. “I am using the shoes I was given last year which have torn. Wearing shoes along with uniforms to go to school is mandatory. Therefore, I will use old shoes until new shoes are distributed,” she said.
